Project to develop straw souvenirs for tourists

A project focused on developing rice straw-woven products aimed at
tourists was recently set in place by the Scientific Union for
Sustainable Tourism Development (STD).

In July, the STD
collaborated with the Duong Lam Commune women's union and the relic
management unit in introducing the potential of straw-woven products
such as roosters, dolls, hats and boots to local residents.

Union
President Nguyen Thu Hanh said: "To date, village products have been of
a very poor standard. It has been our task to instruct residents in how
to develop and design quality souvenirs woven from straw, both
popularising the destination and helping in locals increase their
incomes."

Duong Thi Lan, vice chairwoman of the commune women's
union, expressed her support for the project, saying that local people
used to have the tendency of burning straw and so polluting the
environment.

"Duong Lam has its own materials and market.
Everyone here is extremely keen on making things work out and finding
sufficient sponsorship to benefit the maximum amount of people."

After
being recognised as a national architectural relic in 2005, Duong Lam
Commune has drawn many tourists, who have found buying keepsakes a
rather arduous task.

According to veteran tour guide Pham Hoang
Tuan, most visitors are attracted by the laterite architecture and
ancient houses, there being no typical tourism product except for
typical north Vietnamese cuisine.

Relic management deputy chief
Nguyen Trong An, agreeing with Tuan, said that monotonous products have
served as a barrier to the ancient village becoming one of the most
attractive tourism spots in the country./.